“The training enabled me to understand and define my relationship with other people, especially women, because we are equal. So, decision making becomes more important when I understand gender,” says Enley... Show More + Saeni, a young man who had participated in disaster response activities in Temotu province earlier in the year.Ridley Agiomea, a meteorological officer for over 20 years said he now understands that gender is not about men and women. It concerns life, and is about treating everybody with equal consideration.“I hope it will help me try to help others, especially my colleagues to have a new understanding so that when we deliver services through our work, we see everybody on an equal basis.”Rebecca Awa-Filo is team leader for a Save the Children Youth Outreach Partnership Project which integrates disaster risk reduction activities at communities they work in. While she admits that gender is an issue that authorities and people in her position tend to forget during times of disaste Show Less -

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONSRecent progress in East Asia and Pacific:Gender gaps in access to education have closed dramatically – including at the secondary and... Show More + tertiary levels. The region has made significant advances in a number of health outcomes. Female labor force participation is relatively high in the region; roughly 70 percent of women in East Asia and the Pacific participate in economic activities, higher than any other region. Women in East Asia also have higher participation in the management and ownership of firms than in other developing regions.Remaining challenges:Gender gaps in access to basic education remain in a few countries Maternal mortality remains high in lower-income and several Pacific countries. Women still earn less than men for similar work – around 70 to 80 percent, on average.Women continue to have weaker voice and influence than men in the home, in politics, and in civil society. &nbsp Show Less -